Archives for 2012

Operation restores sight for 47-year-old man who suffered a serious wound in his right eye 26 years ago in Lebanon.

PHOTO: KAPLAN MEDICAL CENTER

The sight of a 47-year-old man who suffered a serious wound in the right eye in Lebanon 26 years ago has been saved with a donated cornea transplanted at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot.The man, Nissim Nahum, said the pain and the partial blindness made it difficult for him to function normally on a daily basis, but that the surgery two weeks ago has already greatly improved his quality of life. His ophthalmological surgeon, Dr. Guy Kleinman, said that the donated transplant has not only eliminated his pains but begun to improve his sight.

Nahum underwent the surgery in the hospital’s ophthalmology department headed by Prof. Ayala Pollack. A synthetic lens was implanted and the donated cornea was transplanted into the right eye, which had been damaged by shrapnel from a hand grenade that a Hezbollah terrorist threw at him east of Tyre. During the attack, a soldier was killed and several others were wounded.Over the years, the man – who lives in Moshav Nir Banim, near Kiryat Gat – had undergone several procedures to save his eyesight, but nevertheless, his vision continued to decline, and his pain intensified.He even developed edema in the eye, which blinded him on the right side.

He recently went to consult with Kaplan eye specialists who suggested that he apply for a donated cornea. Now, after the operation, he feels wonderful.

Kleinman, head of the cataract surgery and a cornea surgeon, said that over the course of 26 years, Nahum suffered from separation of the retina that caused great harm to his vision as well as intense pain. Although the surgery was very successful, he will have to undergo intensive rehabilitation until he can see normally in the right eye, he added.

About 800 Israelis are waiting for a donated cornea. The Kaplan ophthalmologists called on the public to sign ADI (Israel Transplant) cards (which can be obtained by calling *6262) to become potential donors and save vision.

In the past few days, many hundreds of rockets rained on the heartland of Israel – striking cities and towns as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. The Kaplan Medical Center, which serves much of this area (see map), is caring for many of the victims, including infants and children and shell-shocked civilians. Our trauma and emergency units are gearing up to receiving many more as the hostilities escalate. We look forward to your continued friendship and support, and we would be grateful if you could forward our emails to your friends who care about Israel.

Terrorists rain rockets on Ashdod, hitting city twice and wounding several people.

By Maayana Miskin

Rocket Damage in Ashdod

Gaza terrorists fired a barrage of rockets at the city of Ashdod on Tuesday evening. Four rockets were shot down by the Iron Dome system, but another two hit the city.

One exploded near a residential building, lightly wounding five people. The attack sent an additional 13 people into shock.

Victims of the attack were taken to Kaplan hospital in Rehovot.

A second rocket struck near acommercial building. At least one woman was wounded in the attack. The victim of the second attack is in light condition.

In addition, a young man was lightly wounded when he hit a glass door while running for shelter. He was taken to hospital with wounds to the face and upper body.

In the aftermath of the latest attacks residents of the city called on the government to take out Hamas’s attack capabilities.

“I’m a Likud supporter, but if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stops the operationnow I’m not voting for him,” a local man named Yitzik told Arutz Sheva. “It would be an outrage if we took so much fire for four years and now, when they finally come to end it, while we give full support to the executive branch – they chicken out.”

“My whole family is holed up in a bomb shelter for six days already,” another resident said. “We’ll give the IDF, the Prime Minister and the Defense Minister whatever support they need in order to bring quiet here.”

Medical centers and health support organizations continue to be busy as Operation Pillar of Defense proceeds.

PHOTO: WIKICOMMONS

Medical centers and health support organizations continued to be busy as Operation Pillar of Defense proceeded on Sunday. Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot saved the arm of a man who was wounded by a rocket in Kiryat Malachi last week.

Boris Chorneh, a Tiberias resident who came on aliya from Tajikistan 15 years ago, was wounded by shrapnel as a result of the rocket when transporting furniture from Haifa to the apartment that was hit. His moving van was completely destroyed.

Chorneh lost a lot of blood and underwent an operation that took several hours to repair the main arm artery and nerve that had been severed.

The patient faces a long rehabilitation process in the hospital.

Dr. Yoram Klein, head of the urgent surgery and trauma department at Kaplan, said the patient had to receive several units of blood before he could undergo the surgery.

Israeli doctors at Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center have saved the arm of a man wounded in the missile attack last week in Kiryat Malachi, in which three Israelis were killed.

Boris Chomeh sustained shrapnel wounds last Thursday as he was transporting furniture from Haifa to an apartment that was hit by a Grad Katyusha missile in the southern city. Chomeh’s moving van was completely destroyed in the attack.

A resident of Tiberias who made aliyah from Tajikistan 15 years ago, Chomeh was badly wounded in the attack, his arm severed in the explosion that killed a young female Chabad-Lubavitch emissary and two men. A number of others were wounded as well. They were all killed or injured after the building they were in was hit. The building had no bomb shelter.

Among them was an eight-month-old baby who was seriously injured in the attack. The baby’s photo was later hijacked and used in a propaganda media campaign by Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists who claimed Israeli air strikes on Gaza had killed the infant.

The IDF will widen its counter terror Operation Pillar of Defense offensive in Gaza in the next 36 hours unless the terror organization ceases its rocket fire and arms smuggling into the region, the government warned.

The time before Israel steps up its attack can be measured in “hours, not days,” Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said in a statement broadcast on IDF Army Radio.

Rocket fire from Gaza continues: Three projectiles explode in residential area in Ashdod; four people lightly hurt, a few other residents suffer panic attacks; Iron Dome intercepts four more rockets fired at city.

Omri Efraim
Published: 11.17.12

A barrage of four rockets was fired from Gaza toward Ashdod at around noon Saturday. One of the rockets struck a building in the city and two others landed in a residential area. A number of people suffered from anxiety. The fourth projectile did not cause any injury but damaged a vehicle. Channel 2 said four people sustained light wounds during the attack on Ashdod. They were evacuated to the Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot.

Roughly 15 minutes after the direct hit on the building the Iron Dome missile defense system intercepted another four-rocket salvo that was fired toward Ashdod.

A short while later another rocket launched by Palestinian terrorists hit a house located in the Negev’s Eshkol Regional Council. The house was empty at the time of the attack. A barrage of five rockets was fired from Gaza toward Beersheba, all exploding in open areas. Four rockets fired toward Be’er Tuvia were intercepted.
Car damaged by rocket in Ashdod (Photo: Avi Roccah)

Earlier on Saturday, four soldiers sustained light injuries when a mortar landed in the Eshkol Regional Council.

More than 60 rockets were fired toward Israel on Saturday after the Israeli aircraft leveled the IDF has attacked more than 200 terror targets throughout Gaza since 6 pm Wednesday. The targets included 120 rocket launchers and more than 20 smuggling tunnels in Rafah. Saturday morning saw the Israeli Air Force attack a terror cell as it was preparing to fire rockets toward Beersheba. Three terrorists were hit.
Ashdod building hit by rocket (Photo: Ron Benishu)

Also on Saturday, Israeli aircraft killed a Hamas officer who was in charge of air defense in Gaza. Palestinian sources in Gaza reported Saturday that the IDF attacked a motorcyclist in Khan Younis. They said one Palestinian was killed in the attack. Later it was reported that three people were killed in an Israeli strike east of the al-Maghazi refugee camp.

In addition, three people were killed in an IDF strike in the al-Zahour neighborhood, located west of Rafah in the southern part of the coastal enclave. Another Palestinian was killed and three others were wounded in an IDF strike in Deir al-Balah.

Ashdod under attack (Photo: Avi Roccah)

According to the report, another person was killed in an attack on a terror cell in Rafah’s al-Sulan neighborhood.

Co-authored by Steven D. Shapiro, M.D. of Gardens Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery Center in Florida, U.S. and Dr. Amos Leviav of Kaplan Hospital Plastic Surgery Department in Rehovot, Israel, “Evaluation of Safety and Efficacy of the TriPollar Technology for Treatment of Wrinkles” appears in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine Journal and reviews a clinical study of Pollogen’s Apollo system. The paper is available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lsm.22044/abstract.

The blinded clinical trial involved 37 female subjects who received eight weekly TriPollar treatments via a device called TriPollar Apollo for the reduction of facial wrinkles. Subjects were scheduled for follow-up visits at one and three months following their last treatment. There were no unexpected adverse side effects, and 100% of the patients reported virtually painless treatment and were satisfied from treatment results. Photographic analysis of pre- and post-treatment by two physicians revealed improvement of 94%-97%.

“I am pleased to be the first to work with TriPollar RF technology in the U.S.,” stated Dr. Shapiro, principle investigator of the clinical trial. “We performed 136 treatments in our study without any side effects. Patients reported a pleasant and pain-free experience and were satisfied with the results. I observed a significant reduction in wrinkles and overall, I am impressed by the immediate and long-term results achieved with the TriPollar technology and its strong safety profile.”

Although the TriPollar Apollo is FDA-cleared for the non-invasive treatment of mild to moderate facial wrinkles, the 30-minute, no-downtime procedure is also CE-approved for circumferential reduction and the reduction of cellulite. These currently off-label non-invasive body contouring applications have become the treatment of choice internationally. Unlike its competitors, the TriPollar Apollo provides a painless and pleasant treatment, is effective on all skin types and allows immediate and measurable long-term anti-aging results.

“As global leaders, we are committed to developing the most innovative, non-invasive anti-aging products that improve the well being of our patients worldwide,” said Amichai Bar Nir, CEO of Pollogen. “TriPollar treatments have been available for over six years in Europe and Asia. Recently FDA-cleared in the United States, patients are increasingly opting for the convenient and effective treatment that TriPollar offers.”

About Pollogen
Pollogen Ltd. is a global leader in the medical aesthetic market, providing professionals in over 60 countries with a wide variety of advanced aesthetic solutions to best serve their customers. Pollogen is the developer and manufacturer of three revolutionary technologies under the industry premier brand names TriPollar®, TriLipo® and TriFractional™ and offers a full line of clinically-proven, safe and effective, non-invasive anti-aging facial and body contouring treatment platforms for a range of aesthetic applications including circumference reduction, cellulite reduction and skin tightening. For more information, visit http://www.pollogen.com.

Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot warned parents that they should never transfer cleaning fluids to “innocent-looking bottles.”

PHOTO: COURTESY

The school vacation began only a few days ago, and already a seven-old-girl drank a glass of industrial fat remover that had been stored in a mineral water bottle in the home and poured a cup for her cousin.The girl immediately suffered significant chemical burns in her esophagus and stomach, but she managed to stop her cousin from drinking his cup of poison when she realized it was not juice.Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot warned parents on Thursday that they should never transfer cleaning fluids to “innocent-looking bottles. The damage that is liable to happen could endanger life, and the amount of suffering is huge.”The girl, who lives in the South, was rushed to Kaplan after swallowing the liquid fat remover and admitted a week ago in serious condition.She underwent a gastroscopy that showed serious internal chemical burns.

She was hospitalized in the pediatric intensive care unit, where a food tube was connected directly to her stomach so she could receive food and water for two weeks without it going through her damaged esophagus. Under this care, she improved and was out of danger. She was fortunate that the acidic material had not burned a hole in her esophagus.

The girl’s mother said the girl was with her brother at her aunt’s home and went to the kitchen to take a drink.

She and her little cousin saw a bottle of “mineral water” containing a material the color of diluted raspberry syrup. She poured it into two cups and started to drink it but noticed a terrible taste.

Her cousin almost drank it as well, but she managed to prevent him from doing so.

Dr. Michal Korey, head of the pediatric gastroenterology unit at Kaplan said fat remover is extremely poisonous and can kill. “The girl arrived with burns on her mouth and stomach pains.”

Treatment was carried out under general anesthesia.

Such accidents can be prevented entirely by locking cleaning products and other chemicals and keeping them out of the reach of children.

If such an event occurs, the child must be taken immediately to a hospital emergency room.

Now the child is attached to a food tube, said the mother, “and we feel we are in safe hands,” her mother said.

Stav Buhbut was visiting her best friend at Moshav Gefen near the Masmiya junction.

PHOTO: KAPLAN MEDICAL CENTER

A teenage girl, bitten by a Palestinian viper last week, was given anti-serum and treated in intensive care at Rehovot’s Kaplan Medical Center.Stav Buhbut was visiting her best friend at Moshav Gefen near the Masmiya junction.

She stood near the front door when a viper emerged from a bush and bit her in the right leg, but managed to move away before the reptile reached her other limb.

Very weak, vomiting and with a swollen leg, she was rushed to the hospital by her friend’s mother. Buhbut is now in good condition.

Her mother, Yaffa, said it was fortunate that the snake did not manage to bite her on both legs, and that her friend’s mother was present and able to take her immediately to the hospital.

But after receiving the anti-serum, her condition improved. In the intensive care unit, she was kept under observation to ensure she did not suffer breathing problems or clotting. Her quick arrival and treatment at the hospital saved her life, Bergman said.

Yael Polishook, the intensive care unit’s chief nurse, said there are many snakes about this time of the year, especially in grassy areas in kibbutzim, moshavim and other agricultural areas. “Be alert, and don’t walk about in the dark in areas with thorny plants that have a water source that is relatively cool,” she said.

The signs of snakebite are reduced consciousness, a growing feeling of choking, confusion and redness and swelling in a limb

Doctors perform emergency surgery, save him from amputation of his external ear.

PHOTO: KAPLAN MEDICAL CENTER

A 15-year-old boy who allegedly underwent ear piercing illegally without parental permission suffered severe gangrene and almost lost his earlobe to infection. Doctors at Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot performed emergency surgery last week and saved him from amputation of his external ear.

The teen, Niv Lin from Mazkeret Batya, arrived at the hospital with an advanced infection of his left earlobe. Doctors sent him for an urgent operation under general anesthesia to remove gangrenous pieces of cartilage from his ear.

Dr. Hagit Shofel Habakuk, a surgeon in the ear-nose-and-throat department, said that piercing ear cartilage, especially on the upper part of the outer ear, can be very harmful. The infection could have spread to his blood circulation and bones, she said.

“Prevent your children from suffering unnecessary complications,” she urged.

The boy received intravenous antibiotics for several days in an effort to create new cartilage and restore the shape of his outer ear.

His father, Gil, said he and his wife had been on a ski vacation when their son went to have the upper part of his ear pierced. When they returned, they found he had an earring and an extremely swollen ear.

“We were very angry that he did it without our permission; we even went to talk to the young man who did the piercing to tell him he acted illegally,” the boy’s father said.

The family’s health fund physician referred them to Kaplan, where the doctors immediately made a cut to drain out the pus. But a general operation was necessary to stop the spread of gangrene.

Lin told his parents that he had dropped the idea of piercing his ear.

“I went through a very unpleasant experience. I call on other youths not to undergo piercing even if they have to endure social pressure,” he said.

According to a 2004 Knesset amendment, no one may perform piercing of the body (except the lower part of the ear) on anyone under the age of 16 without the parents’ written consent.

About Us

The American Friends of the Kaplan Medical Center was incorporated in 2008 as a non-for-profit 501 (c)(3), tax-exempt organization for the purpose of representing, developing and promoting in the … [Read More...]